A True Ending
by Neko-Kanojo
Summary: What would have hapened if Matt had not been shot by Takada's bodyguards and Mello had not died? How would Mello have beaten Near to succeeding L and defeating Kira? And what if he fell in love on the way? BEING REWRITTEN - ON HIATUS.
1. Everything Changes

**Neko:** Hello! This is my first real fan fiction. I've written one but it was just a one-shot… Anyway this is a MelloXMatt pairing, cuz I think it's really cute (even if there's already a lot of that around here without me contributing!)

**Spoiler warning: **If you suck and haven't read up to chapter 80-90 yet well, don't read this…. (just kidding you don't suck)

**Disclaimer: **The characters aren't mine, the Death Note concept ain't mine and the places etc aren't mine either. Take all that away and you're left with the crummy plot. This, sadly, IS mine. XD Well read, enjoy and review, hopefully!

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Kiyomi Takada was stepping out of her car, where outside many fans were waiting to greet her. It wasn't really that much of a cold evening but if one was not particularly keen on catching a cold, a coat was required; even if you were to spend only a brief time outside. Which Takada intended to do; she didn't really like fans anyway. She humored them most of the time anyway…

The air, heavy of camera clicking sounds along with the jeers of Takada's followers, was abruptly disturbed by the violent grumbling of a motor. A big shiny red car had drifted into the parking lot of the edifice.

'Now what is this about?' Takada wondered, 'Humph, probably some crazed fan…'

The car did a sharp turn, the window opened and before anyone could see the face of the person very well, a gun was pointed at some point merely feet away from Takada and a smoke-bomb was launched. No one had had time to identify the person in the vehicle and it quickly drove away.

In the confusion caused by the smoke, as people ran around helplessly, Takada heard the shouts of her bodyguards.

"PROTECT TAKADA-SAMA!!!" Shouted one of them. At once, Halle Lidner, Takada's only female bodyguard, appeared at her side.

"Are you all right, Takada-sama?" She asked, both covering her face expertly with her arm and reaching out to protect Takada.

"Yes, I'm fine." Takada replied hastily. But she was watching the car drive away. As it did so, a few bodyguards made hopeless attempts to chase after the car when one of them shouted,

"THEY'RE DRIVING AWAY! CHASE THEM!" Takada smirked at this but then coughed. Halle placed one hand on Takada's side.

"Takada-sama… Enter NHN quickly!" She said. Before Takada had the time to move or say anything, a motorbike drove next to them and the guy aboard spoke.

"It's too risky with a guy like that around here. It's dangerous inside and around NHN." He said, with a hoarse but firm voice that Halle recognized as Mello's, "You should leave here. Takada-sama, please hop on! Hurry!"

Halle hesitated but decided to trust Mello. She lightly pushed Takada forwards.

"Takada-sama it's all right. Please get on and leave here fast." She told her, grabbing her phone.

"A team and B team, run alongside Takada. Other teams chase the car." She ordered swiftly into her phone.

Everything went quite swiftly, but the motorcycle with Mello and Takada on it turned into a very narrow alleyway; none of the cars could have followed. The guards could not follow on foot because they were already much too far. Mello grabbed some handcuffs and attached his wrist to Takada's.

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Meanwhile the occupant of the car driving away sighed heavily. Beneath his heavy tinted goggles, his eyes darted to the side of the road where **yet another damn **police car had appeared.

Performing an extraordinary turn to avoid it, he sighed again.

"Ugh! Those cars are all lying in wait! Just how many bodyguards does Takada have?!" He asked himself as he avoided another one.

For a second he considered producing a second smoke-screen to avoid them better but, by a split-second chance, he counted the number of cars around him and noticed they were closing in too fast. He didn't have time; he would just get caught if he did that. So he threw his gun on the passenger seat and turned his car around, screeching of the wheels in his ears.

He closed his eyes shut, hoping he had made it, and not daring to look and see if he was just seconds away from killing himself. When after a few moments he opened his eyes, he was still luckily on the road and he had managed to avoid all the cars that had been surrounding him. He steered himself back on the right side of the street and went to find Mello.

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Mello smirked to himself. So far, everything was going rather as planned. He parked his bike into the inside of a delivery van and got inside; Takada had no other choice but to follow, led by the handcuffs.

Almost immediately after she was released, Takada walked over to one of the walls and lay back on it. She had a terrified look in her eyes and she was trembling under her fur coat. Mello took off his biking helmet and looked harshly at her.

Indicating a small box near Takada merely with the direction of his gaze, he spoke:

"Take off everything you're wearing and put them in there."

"Oh so basically you want me to strip naked right here…?" She asked, voice trembling nearly as much as her. Mello kept eye contact and replied as harshly as before.

"That's right. Because of the tracking devices I'm pretty sure you have on you, those guards can find you easily. Unless I have you do this, those guys will be chasing us forever. This delivery truck is forwarding stations nearby so we're dumping your things in a truck over there." Takada seemed hesitating, which greatly annoyed Mello.

"Snap to it, woman!" He shouted, pointing his loaded gun in her face, "you can have this blanket if you want it!" He brandished it.

"O-okay…" She stammered, "F-first I'm handing over my phone and handbag content… That way I-I won't be able to contact a-anyone… But p-p-please, I'll take my clothes off but I want that blanket before I t-take off my un… my underwear…" Mello rolled his eyes. How pathetic could she get?

"That's fine. Now hurry up!"

"…Mello... Mello?" It was distant, but someone was calling his name.

The sound of a car driving into the parking lot and stopping came to his ears, louder than the voice. The slam of a car door was heard, closely followed by footsteps. The door of the truck was opened.

"Mello!!!" Mello looked behind him lazily and saw that it was Matt.

"What are you doing here, idiot? I told you to lead those guards far away from here then to get back to the hideout! What are you thinking; those guys could be here any minute! And… how did you guess so easily where I was?"

Matt stopped in his tracks, caught off guard by all of what Mello had just said. His eyes darted from Mello's face, to Mello's gun, to Takada.

"Well… I'm pretty sure I lost those guards a long time ago… And if I had stayed, I would have been caught. Either way, it was easy to find you: I know your style."

"…"

"Whatever… What are you gonna do to _her_? I thought you said-"

"SHUT UP, idiot…"

"Oh… sorry Mello- Hey, what are you doing with that paper?" He asked this to Takada, who had been taking advantage of their argument to get the blanket, strip and hide her piece of the death note more easily. But Matt had seen her. Mello turned around and glared at her.

"Give me that! Was that something you were trying to hide-" Mello stopped dead when he saw what it was. Takada knew she was done for, now. Shuddering, she handed it over to Mello, who was shaking his hand around at her. He grabbed it and, having first opened it completely, looked at it at every angle. Then he glared evilly at Takada.

"Hmm, it was in your undergarments right? Clever, I could have fallen for it… But nah, you're dead, lady!"

Takada's eyes opened in fear as Mello's gun was pointed at her a second time. A click was heard and Takada closed her eyes tightly.

"I've had enough of you, woman! I was planning on killing you later on, anyway." Takada turned away, which only proved furthermore that she was cowardly in facing death.

Mello pulled the trigger and Takada fell rather slowly to the floor, staggering on her knees, eyes bulging and clutching the spot in which Mello had fatally shot her, before lying down and moving no more. Just to be sure, Mello measured her pulse.

Confirming she was actually dead, he walked away. Not even looking at Matt, nor gesturing for him to follow, walked past him, back to the red car and got in. Matt slowly followed him but ran towards the car when the engine was started.

"Hey whoa! Where do you think you're going? You can't leave me behind, let me get in! Mello!" Matt shouted into the window, still open. Mello looked strait ahead, but extended his arm toward Matt.

Matt gave a sigh of relief before realizing that Mello was closing the window, not opening the door to let him in. Mello must have seen his face of horror because the window stopped halfway, he laughed, quite the maniacal laugh in fact, and opened the door for him. Matt lost no time getting in and looking at Mello, with a very annoyed look.

"Aw come on, I was just kiddin' ya!" He said, laughing.

Mello hesitated a few seconds, and then slapped his forehead.

"My damn motorcycle! I nearly forgot it because of you!" With no further ado, he stepped out of the car and climbed onto his bike. He wordlessly gestured Matt to go on and that he would follow. Matt did so and, while he drove, he began to get pretty angry with Mello.

So it was his fault if Mello had nearly forgotten his bike?

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Ever since the explosion, Mello had been staying at Matt's apartment. This was partly because he had lost his place at Halle's too. They had been very close in the past, at the orphanage, and now Matt felt just the same. It's like Mello actually felt like a friend to him again. He liked to be able to think this because he really liked Mello.

But not today.

No, today, Mello was acting like such an asshole that Matt had even considered kicking him out, but then Mello would just have been even angrier. After due consideration, Matt finally decided to tackle the problem directly with words.

"What's wrong Mello? You're acting strange…"

They were both sitting in Matt's living room, in the space that was not occupied by either computers or gaming consoles. Mello was looking at Matt's wii with a disgusted face.

"Nothing… just, drop it ok." Matt frowned at this.

"No I won't drop it! You're gonna tell me what's wrong or else-" Matt shouted but didn't have the heart to tell Mello to get out.

"Or else _what_, bitch! You gonna kick me out or something? Don't make me laugh!" Mello laughed at him. It hurt. It pissed Matt off but at the same time he could now see what was wrong with Mello.

Matt had saved his life. That was what irritated Mello so much. It was so stupid, that Matt just couldn't believe it. He was dumbstruck by Mello's enormous ego. And Mello was staring at the wii so he wouldn't have to look at Matt. This was just too much.

He rounded on Mello, but the effect he wanted to give was ruined when Mello looked back at him with a very lazy look, not in the least scared.

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**Neko:** Well that's it for chapter one!! This will be a shounen-ai, fear not! Anyway….. I have no idea how long it'll be we'll just have to see, won't we? And I leave you on that.

Also if you actually read it and you will read the next chapters…well have a cookie!

Good day to you.


	2. Video games, chocolate and tears

**Neko:** Hello it's me again! I hope you readers didn't suffer too much while I was writing this second chapter… I didn't expect people to like my idea that much! Thanks a lot! Right, now that the predictable part of the story is done (that was chapter one), I promise this is going to get interesting.

It might be hard for me though cuz I have to make this fic as interesting as Death Note itself, if I want it to be believable and… interesting… Aw well, I'm glad to try --'

**Spoiler: **Well yeah… if you haven't finished reading/watching Death Note yet… don't read this!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing but the crummy plot. This fic is what would happen if I did own it – you can see why I don't!

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_Matt had saved his life. That was what irritated Mello so much. It was so stupid, that Matt just couldn't believe it. He was dumbstruck by Mello's enormous ego. And Mello was staring at the wii so he wouldn't have to look at Matt. This was just too much._

_He rounded on Mello, but the effect he wanted to give was ruined when Mello looked back at him with a very lazy look, not in the least scared._

"Mello, I would shut up about this you know… But I just can't take it anymore! I just can't believe the size of your ego – it's driving me nuts!" At this, Mello did the completely unexpected: he burst out laughing. This made Matt furious.

"_What_ is so _funny_!" He snapped. Mello stopped laughing and glared at him.

"Nothing, bitch. Just drop it." Matt rolled his eyes. But then he shivered because the thermostat had not been turned on that day. He hastily put the heating on and glanced out of the window of the room to calm himself then turned to Mello once again.

"No I will _not_ 'drop it'. You're really getting on my nerves; why do you have to be so mean to me, seriously! It's like; you think I'm some scum that does your bidding!"

"What are you then, my dear Matt?" A sly smirk was shot at Matt, who felt himself shiver again. Yet the shivering had nothing to do with the temperature of the cold room.

"Well… I seriously thought you considered me a friend, Mello. Because, I sure do." The redhead bit his lip so he wouldn't start crying. He knew this was childish but he didn't understand what the hell he was so mad about anyway. Mello was a jerk; he knew that; he always had. Speaking of which, he was looking back at him with the same emotionless look as before. But if Matt looked closely into the blond's eyes, you could see a kind of grief that wasn't there often.

"Look, you _are_ my friend. I just… You said you would help me out."

"I did, but that didn't mean I'm some kind of pawn… You know, I think this is the same thing as you and Near." Mello flinched at the name but Matt went on, "you always get so worked up about how he pisses you off because he thinks you're this… This piece that's all part of his puzzle or something."

Mello looked down.

"I know Matt. And I'm sorry… I guess I have been an asshole lately."

"Well, yeah." Matt snorted.

Mello smiled back at him and Matt enjoyed every moment of it. Mello did not make a habit of smiling so he might as well. He suddenly felt all fuzzy but he shook it off.

They did nothing for several minutes but suddenly Mello started grumbling. He got up and went to the kitchen. Matt was about to ask him what was wrong when he realized. Mello was in need of chocolate of course. He hadn't eaten any since this morning. What was so addicting about chocolate, Matt would never know. Well, it was much like Mello would never see what was so great about video games.

Mello had returned with his chocolate bar and was currently eating it noisily. Matt had long ago gotten used to Mello's method of eating; therefore he didn't flinch or stare at him like other people.

With nothing to do, if you didn't count watching Mello eat his snack, Matt settled down on the space left for him on the sofa and turned on the TV.

"Oh you're not gonna play those damn video games of yours again…" Mello commented.

"Oh you're not gonna eat another one of those damn chocolate bars of yours again…" Matt replied, while smirking. Mello didn't press the conversation further so the gamer went to his Playstation 2 and turned it on.

Usually, Mello did not do any remarks on the games he played but this one seemed to interest him.

Of course, it was a very violent car game; the goal consisting of killing as many people as possible and destroying as many things as possible without getting caught by the police. The game also involved a lot of swearing, references to sex, alcohol and drugs.

Of course it interested Mello.

"What's that game you're playin'?" The blond asked, leaning over to him with an eager look on his harsh, half-burned face. Matt chuckled to himself.

"It's called Super Street Fury." Matt told him, smiling as he crashed into a city bus made for handicapped people. Mello started to laugh when he threw some dynamite at a lady walking her dog. 

"Whoa! Awesome! Can I play with you?"

"Yeah sure just wait a 'sec." Matt went to the menu and selected Multi-Fury mode and handed Mello the second control.

"Right, to put the nitro it's R2, always keep the X pushed in…" He couldn't finish explaining because Mello was already on the road, bumping into everything – living and not. It seemed he caught on much easier than Matt had thought he would. Smirking, he picked up the pace.

The goal of this 2-player mini-game was to crash more cars than the other player. Mello was already at 9 crashes while Matt was still at 4. Mello wasn't to be taken lightly after all…

After seven minutes of intense Car Clashing and Furious Battling, Mello actually won. He won by a nose, but he did. Matt couldn't believe it. True, he had had a bad start but he had been confident he would catch up.

He had never been beaten at any video game. Ever. But he was no sore loser.

"Good game, Mello… you actually beat me…" He had expected the blond to brag but, he was, once again, surprised.

"Who cares? This game is awesome! Let's go again!" Mello seemed exited. This sure was unusual of him. He wasn't the type to actually like anything.

No, Mello had always made a point of detesting everything and everyone just for the sake of it. Except his beloved chocolate obviously.

Matt shrugged it off and smiled.

"Sure." He said, selecting the 'Go Again' feature. The vicious game finished loading and the challenge was back on.

The game geek in Matt had now awoken and this time, he nailed victory easily. They changed the mini-game, which was now even more extreme, consisting of shooting at people on the street from the inside of your car, whilst carefully avoiding the cops on your map.

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The next time Matt checked his watch, it was already two in the morning. They had been playing pretty much non-stop for around six hours now. In that time, Mello had eaten a countless number of chocolate bars, they had both drank down many Pepsi's and they had played eight different but each equally aggressive mini-games. And Matt had smoked nearly a half a pack.

"Mello it's two in the morning. We probably have to get up early tomorrow, well, later on I mean, so why don't we go to bed?" He stated carefully, while he made a fifteen-story building explode, to Mello's great amusement.

Mello looked at him blankly, then frowned.

"What did I tell you about smoking in the house?" He growled. 

Matt considered pointing out that they were in _his_ house and that he could therefore do whatever he pleased but Mello's patience was clearly not to be tested. So he settled for explaining the situation further, and he wasn't keen on letting Mello avoid it any longer.

"Look Mello, even I'm tired of playing this stupid video game… And that's saying something – when I got the game I played it non-stop for fifteen hours strait, okay? And I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted from today, you know?" Mello nodded slowly, defeated.

"Yeah, whatever." Matt sighed and closed the game, without even bothering to save the game. He would regret this in the morning though – they had made a lot of high scores.

They closed the lights and made their way to the bedroom.

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Mello woke up the sound of birdsong and the heat of the rising sun directly in his face. In their haste to go to bed, earlier that night, they had omitted to close the curtains. He squirmed and shut his eyes tighter.

However, as he made to roll over, something made him stay put.

That something was a pair of arms.

He turned his head back sharply and saw some red hair. Hot breathing brushed on his neck and Mello felt a nose nuzzled behind his ear. It tickled him but at the same time it made him feel really annoyed. He was not a pillow!

"MATT GET THE FUCK OFF ME!" He roared as he sat up violently, pulling the sheets (and Matt) along. Matt dangled from Mello's neck lazily before letting go abruptly and hurrying over to the other side of the bed, as though afraid.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Mello! I just…"

"Just what!" Mello shouted. Matt fought the urge to roll his eyes. Mello was so impatient!

"Let me finish! Well, I was just cold ok… I always hang on to stuff in my sleep…" Mello made a disbelieving sound.

"Yeah right… you're a girl."

"…"

"Hey, look Mello; is it really such a big deal…?"

"That you're a girl!" Mello started to laugh really stupidly. Matt suddenly felt really uncomfortable without actually knowing why.

"No... That I... hugged you..." Matt told him, discouraged. Mello smiled.

"Nah, whatever... I don't care." He yawned and stretched, lying down as he spoke, "Aw man, I wanna go back to sleep... This sucks." He pointed at the clock that read six thirty.

"We slept barely four hours!" Mello grumbled. Matt got up slowly and chuckled.

"Be thankful to me for that! If I hadn't told you to come to bed, you probably wouldn't have slept at all." Mello shrugged.

"Where are you going?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? I'm getting up... Remember, we have to go on with life you know..." Mello stared at him from his upside-down position with his bizarre unnerving stare. 

"Damn..." Mello jumped up from the bed and started to pace around the room, "Damn right! Okay, let's get dressed and then we really have to think about getting that death note back... damn I hate that damn Police Task Force! Plus all those Mafia guys are dead now... Damn… it's all a big pile of shit…"

"I wonder how many times you say the word "damn" in just one day, Mello…" Matt said, teasingly. At this, the blond grumbled.

"Yeah, and I wonder when you're going to stop annoying me, bitch."

"…"

"Just jokin' with ya, Matty." Mello punched him softly in the arm and opened the window. "Nice day today."

Then he walked away happily, supposedly into the kitchen to get some breakfast, leaving a disbelieving Matt to stare at the spot he had just left.

"Did I hear correctly…? Did you just say it was a nice day?" Matt asked as he followed Mello. 

"Of course I did. It is a nice day." Mello said, whilst spreading a chocolate bar with butter…

…wait a minute, that didn't make sense at all!

"Mello! Why are you putting butter on your chocolate bar?" Matt inquired, surprised once more at his blond friend. Mello first looked up from it to him. Then glanced back down at it, blinking.

"I don't know… What the fuck!" He put the chocolate away and got the bread from the fridge, looking irritable.

Matt chose wise not to say anything, so he turned the TV on. But he couldn't keep silent much longer, this was really bothering him.

"Mello, what's wrong with you? You're acting really odd today." He asked tentatively as he flipped through the channels. Nothing of interest on TV, as usual. Just the typical boring, morning talk-shows, weather, stupid drama series… 

"What do you mean…? I'm not-" Mello stopped at the look Matt gave him, which clearly meant 'oh, come on!' and went on. "I'm not acting strange, okay! What's odd?"

"Well, when you woke up, first you were really impatient! Then, you started to swear and stuff… Well, that wasn't so atypical, but after that you said it was a nice day! I have never heard you compliment anything, and I mean _anything_. Then after you were all lost and started to butter some chocolate! So don't try to make me believe that there is nothing bothering you!" Matt glared at his friend, but he didn't stop zapping. He had grown adapted to doing two or three things at the same time. Notably: one thing to do with a screen and one to do with conversation.

"Well, I dunno. Don't tell me you're normal every day! Everyone has strange days once in a while! I just-"

"Sshhh!" Matt cut in on Mello's spluttering and continuously clicked the volume of the TV until it was at a loud enough level for Mello to hear it from the other side of the kitchen.

"_-just this morning Miss Kiyomi Takada was found dead in a deserted truck station. It seems she was killed from gunshot. Her aggressor is believed to be the man who kidnapped her last night. Not much is known about him except the fact that he is blond, white male, nearing six feet in height and driving a motorcycle. Witness said the man goes by the alias of 'Mero' and is accompanied by a dangerous subordinate who is also a white male, around the same height, red hair and the alias 'Matt'. The police are now carrying out researches around the town. Here are some images of Takada's funeral, where many of her followers are currently. Stay tuned for the weather at eight."_

Matt tuned down the volume just so they didn't have to hear the jingle of the news station followed by the weeping of Takada's supporters. He and Mello could only stare at each other, at a loss for words. Mello was the one to break the tension.

"Well of course something like this was going to happen. Yesterday's business didn't go very smoothly." Matt nodded in total agreement.

Mello shivered and slowly walked up to the couch were Matt was seated. He looked utterly miserable. The gamer stared at him.

"Good grief, Mello… What's the matter all of a sudden? You look really-"

Matt didn't have the time to finish his sentence because Mello fell on the sofa and threw his arms around his neck, leaning his head on the redhead's shoulder. Mello was shaking slightly. Was he… crying? Nevertheless, Matt decided on patting Matt's back.

"I was so scared Matt!" Mello's voice was as wobbly as him.

"Scared of what…"

"I thought you were going to die! I thought we were both going to die… And I don't want us to be separated again. Like last time, when I left the orphanage. I want…" Mello stopped shaking and Matt felt him gulp against his shoulder, "I want us to be… to be friends forever." Mello hugged him tighter. Matt really couldn't believe it.

"Me too, Mello, and you know it. I'll always be there for you."

He let Mello hug him a little longer. Not for long, just until he felt better. After all, it wasn't so bad was it?

Wait did he just think that? He shook his head lightly, as to not disturb Mello. He smiled. Some things would never change… No matter how much Mello told Matt he didn't need him or that they had nothing special going on, no, Matt would not believe him. Their friendship was special.

Matt fell asleep on that thought, that he and Mello could stay forever this way.

He didn't want to wake up to the present they were in. Right now, Mello's top priority would be getting the death note back and making sure that Kira was dead. And Matt would come after. Mello snuggled into Matt's neck in his sleep and Matt sighed groggily.

_Later on_, Matt thought, _all that would happen later_. He wanted this particular moment to last.

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**Neko:** Well, that was the second chapter for you. Sorry for the delay. Hope you liked it! I have to think a little more about the third chapter, where all the death note stuff will begin so the wait might be a little lengthy… But between this chapter and the next, I'll be writing a one-shot about Death Note again, just to keep things going along.

By the way, I was NOT in any way expressing shounen-ai at the end of the chapter. Oh no! They're just friends, eh… just friends XD

Well thanks to everyone who reviewed, it was really nice of you and… that's all for now.

See ya! 


	3. The ally and the foe

**Neko: **Phweh! I finished the third chapter!! It was long….but it's done!

**Disclaimer: **DEATH NOTE is NOT MINE. Thanks! bows

**Spoiler/Warning: **Yea so… don't read if you classify in any of these categories: have not finished reading Death Note, doesn't like shounen-ai, or if you like Near… I, for one, HATE Near…

Well, I won't stall much longer – read on! And thanks for the reviews to everyone who, well…. reviewed!

--

_Matt fell asleep on that thought, that he and Mello could stay forever this way .He didn't want to wake up to the present they were in. Right now, Mello's top priority would be getting the death note back and making sure that Kira was dead. And Matt would come after. Mello snuggled into Matt's neck in his sleep and Matt sighed groggily. __Later on__, Matt thought, __all that would happen later__. He wanted this particular moment to last._

A vein was becoming dangerously visible on Mello's forehead and his strong jaw was clenched in hatred of his contender.

Near was sitting on the ground, playing lazily with some toy blocks. He was wearing all white, as usual, dressed as if he was really cold or he was still in his pyjamas. His frizzy hair was unkempt and covered most of his eyes, shadowing his pale, child-like face.

Mello was standing up of course, as if this were a sign of his superiority. It was childish, yes, but ostensibly, this was Near he was dealing with, so it seemed pretty representative. The blond was dressed in his customary black, heavy leather; accompanied by a few gothic-like chains. His light, rather strait hair very attended to and his face the contrast of Near's unemotional one. The two men looked completely the opposite of one another.

"So, nit-wit… Whyd'ya call me all the way up here for, eh? You know damn well I want nothin' to do with you or your damned Special Provision for Kira." Mello growled in a low voice, observing Near with disdain.

"I'm afraid I need your… assistance."

"Pff! Assistance! What for, you can't take care of yourself alone?" Mello laughed, cutting Near strait across his sentence. Unruffled, Near went on.

"I want us to become affiliates, Mello. L was not successful in catching Kira but… maybe we will – together. L was only one detective but, we are two: we could defeat him together if we tried hard enough." The white-haired boy declared, not one change in his expression as he played on with his cubes. Mello seemed to consider the offer for a few moments but he stopped immediately, as though he felt stupid taking into consideration something Near had said. Near was the enemy, for god's sake! Getting a grip over himself, he forced his face into a hopefully amused expression and laughed again.

Near acted just as though he had been expecting this kind of reaction. Putting down his toys, he turned to face Mello for the first time, sitting up with his back a little straighter. He absent-mindedly twirled a strand of his already curly hair between and around his index finger as he talked, making it curlier still.

"You see, we could have made a great team, you and I. We were always the best at Whammy's House… and even today, we excel in everything we do. If you had been agreeing to Roger's idea of us making a detective team, long ago, even L's death may have been avoided. But, no… You were always too good for me, huh? Why's that, Mello, that you never even saw me as a friend?" Mello had stopped laughing but his grin had not left his face.

He snorted.

"As a friend! You were never my friend, Near, as I'm sure you will have noticed, I've hated you since the very day I met you. Why should it change now?" Mello shook his head and looked away, emphasizing further on his argument. He put his hands in his pockets and cracked his neck loudly.

"I don't have time for this…"

There was a lifeless silence, undisturbed even by Near's blocks, which he had carefully placed next to him for later. A deep sigh was emitted by Near.

"I feared you would be like this, Mello…" he said sadly, "but, please, see reason. Put aside your pride. For the sake of the Kira Case. For the sake of L's memory." After a moment, he added, "for the sake of yourself."

Mello shifted uncomfortably. He hated to admit it, but Near was _kind of_ right. He was _kind of_ being stupid, and _maybe_ just a little selfish. He wasn't keen on working with Near, but he really didn't have much of a lead on the case. And all his mafia associates had snuffed it. Yeah, every way he looked at the situation, he was in big trouble and he could not see any other way to solve it than to accept… For now at least; he could probably ditch Near later on… Still not looking his enemy in the face, he said, "I'll think about it."

Near's childish face split into what was, and for Near this was saying something, an unmistakable smile. "I shall take that for a yes then," he said smartly. Mello glared at him one last time before talking again.

"Well… Supposing I _do_ accept your offer, how is this going to work? I mean…" he broke off, nearly afraid to speak his mind. Luckily, Near knew exactly what he meant.

"Yes, I see our problem. I guess we could work at a distance, communication wouldn't be so difficult-"

"-Damn right! Because, if you think I'm going to come and… and _live_ here or some shit, well you're wrong. Yeah, I'd rather we just… work away from each other and share our information and… and stuff."

"Good," Near said slowly, "it's… a start." He mumbled somewhat, maybe hoping Mello wouldn't get what he was saying between the lines. Mello's eyebrow twitched but he said nothing; he knew better not to argue about things like this because the battle would be likely never to finish.

There followed a second silence. Then Mello turned around and walked towards the door. Lifting a hand in gesture of parting, he opened the door and strode away.

--

"So basically he wants you to team up with him?" Matt asked pretty groggily, but a little angry, getting up from the sofa. He had woken up to find Mello gone, no note no nothing. Worried sick, he had searched the apartment frantically in the most likely places he could find Mello in but he was nowhere. Guessing he must have gone out, he gave up and calmed down a bit but he was still mad at Mello for 'forgetting to wake him'.

"Myeah, that's right," Mello confirmed, "well, I guess it's not that bad, I can still work here on my own – with you I mean," he added hastily because of the look Matt gave him, "but I still don't know why he wants this _now_… He's had years to ask me." He looked at Matt desperately, but expecting the red-head to shrug. He didn't.

"Isn't it obvious?" Matt asked, lifting an eyebrow under his tinted goggles.

"No." Mello answered gruffly, crossing his arms and sitting down.

"Well, I think Near's obviously been wanting to ask you ever since he left Whammy's too… But he didn't at first because of your reaction in Roger's office. After waiting a bit, he must have realised you wouldn't have ditched the mafia to join him. So then he lost hope. But now all the mafia guys have died, and he's the one who succeeded L – don't look at me like that, it's _true_ – since he beat you in a way, he must've realised how much it sucks for you. So… I think he's offering you help because he's feeling pity for you." Mello gaped at him.

"I… yeah… makes sense but… Near always hated me too, didn't he? So why-"

"-I'm not so sure about that, Mello." Matt cut across him, laughing slightly at Mello's naivety. The joyful feeling inside him was suddenly disturbed by a much more powerful emotion; one of disgust and jealousy.

"Matt, you okay?" Mello asked, peering at him. It wasn't like Matt to look so angry; this was the only word for it.

"What? Oh yeah… just… stomach burn you know…" The excuse was lousy but Mello took it without further inquiry.

"Hey let's go out to eat. I don't feel like making supper and I didn't even have lunch." Mello said absent-mindedly clutching his abdomen.

"Yeah sure." Matt said, still feeling awful. If he hadn't, he would have pointed out that it was he who usually made supper for both of them, but he didn't bother.

--

It was pretty late when they got back home. Matt hadn't eaten much, opposed to Mello who had promptly stuffed his face. Mello hadn't spoken since the end of supper because Matt had refused to pay for him. This hadn't been a good addition to Matt's already rotten temper. Mello jumped strait on the computer to check on his mail while Matt took a relaxing bath.

He deliberately filled the bathtub with ridiculously hot water and an exaggerate amount of bubble bath but he didn't care much. All the space of his mind seemed to be occupied by only one thing: Mello. He was caring more and more about the blond since they had become friends again. And he suddenly felt jealous about Near… Why? There wasn't anything going on between Near and Mello, of course.

_There is definitely __**nothing**__ going on between Mello and me neither_, though Matt furiously as he washed himself. No, he was being stupid.

When he walked out of the bathroom, smelling just too much of lavender to his taste, Mello was already in bed. _Just as good, or he'd soon find something else to argue about_, he thought as he scrambled under the covers. However, his anger cooled down as he watched the blond sleep peacefully. Mello was one of the few people who smile as they sleep.

Grinning, Matt turned around and, covering himself completely with the covers, snuggled his feet against Mello's. _At least I'm allowed to dream…_He thought peacefully.

--

Feeling a lot more cheerful, Matt woke up first that morning. Mello was still in deep sleep, which was good because he would have shouted at Matt again. Matt had once again hugged Mello in his sleep.

He got up slowly, rubbing his sleep-deprived eyes, which watered at the edges. Being too exhausted to notice when he had gone to bed the previous night, he now saw that Mello had left his computer on: he could see the screen-saver. He hesitated, glancing at Mello, but the blond was still sleeping hard. After all, Mello always slept much more than Matt did and he liked to lie in bed in the morning. It was only seven o' clock.

Quickly coming to a decision, he walked strait to the desk and settled down in front of the laptop. Mello's in-box was open. Searching through it, he easily found what he had been hoping to come across.

**Message from: ****(N)**

To: (M)

**Object: Meeting**

_**hey, M, srr**__**y about my atitude yesterday ya know. I didnt mean to be too hard… take ur time to choose ok? I'm inclosing A file with the dAte & time of the next time I want us to talk. If u could juste be in ur apartment then we could exchange some stuffe we know. I dont wanna say tooo much in an e-mail so lets just talk more next timme.**_

_**N **_

Matt chuckled at Near's bad writing and at his mail address. He couldn't believe Mello still had the same stupid hotmail address he had had since Whammy's… Well, he wasn't one to talk, his address was still: chortled again, remembering what idiots they had all been. They used to think they were the best kids in the world – well, they were – but it had seemed that their lives were nothing more than succeeding L… How things had changed since then…

He shook his head and went back to Mello's in-box. Most of the messages there were really old. Like stuff from three years ago… And, whoa what was this… This one looked oddly familiar…

**Message from: (m)**

**To: (M)**

**Object: loll hi**

_**hey dude. wazup. Im realleh hungreh rawrr.  
love ya wink**_

_**M**_

Matt stared. He'd forgotten they used to say that each time they had to say bye… His heart was beating really fast suddenly. He went back to Mello's most recent message and reread it. So this was it, Mello and Near were working together now. He just had to accept that, no matter how strange it was.

The blond in the bed behind his shuffled the covers, making him jump. He put everything back as it had been before and went for breakfast.

--

Mello stretched and scratched his side. He strode into the kitchen, distractedly brushing his hair with his fingers. He yawned as he sat down at the table. Matt was nowhere to be seen. Grumbling, Mello got up and made his own breakfast.

While he was waiting for his toast to pop up, he remembered his computer. He had opened his mail in-box but the connection to internet had been very slow and he had gone to sit on the bed to wait for it. He didn't remember anything after that. Only conclusion: he had fallen asleep.

His computer was indeed still on and his in-box was open. First thing he noticed: strange, the screen-saver wasn't on. It was programmed to go on after two hours of inactivity. Second thing: there was a new message from Near, but the envelope wasn't yellow. The message had already been read.

Fuming, he opened the message, hoping Matt hadn't read anything that was too important. He read the e-mail twice and calmed down. He would have to ask Matt about this later on. Instead, he concentrated on what Near had to say and opened the said attached file.

They were to meet today in half an hour. He smirked; how early did this guy wake up? Mello would still be asleep normally… He couldn't think what could have woken him. He went back to the kitchen, ate six nutella toasts and went back to his computer, waiting for the call.

Sure enough…

_Beep, beep…_

_Connecting…_

_Connection established._

"M, can you hear me?" came the synthetic voice Near was using.

"Yeah." Mello grunted.

"I'll get strait to the point then. You knew that Takada woman was in league with Kira then did you?" He did not wait for an answer, "Your move was risky but worthwhile. Good job. Now, listen carefully because I don't want to have to repeat anything. I'm going to tell you everything I know about this case, do not interrupt me…"

And so Near told Mello everything he had figured out so far. About Raito, L, Misa and Mikami. He also cleared out what had been going on at the time of January 22nd. Mello listened carefully analyzing everything Near said.

"Right… So you are to meet with Light Yagami, that's to say, Kira, in two days, including all of today…? Hm… And, if I understand correctly, you had some sort of plan to prove he is Kira?"

"That's exact. I have two ideas… Either you help me or… We find another plan that suits you. What will it be? Either way is fine for me, I not only wish to capture Kira, I want to do it… in style, if you know what I mean."

Mello scowled. This was all just a game for Near. Just another blank puzzle he was solving. Mello realized what Near was trying to make him do. Near wanted him to admit that he was desperate in catching Kira. If Mello said that he wanted to continue with Near's plan, which he was NOT going to do, it would mean he trusted Near and wanted this over quickly…

As he thought it over, a brilliant idea came over him. If he asked Near to postpone his plan, he could not only find one on his own, he could also… Use Kira to his advantage. And he knew exactly how to do it. It was perfect.

"N, I want you to suspend your meeting with Kira. If you trust me on this, I promise it will work out. I guarantee I'm going to catch Kira and make him pay for what he did to the world."

Silence.

"Okay, I'll do so. Bear in mind this is a sign of trust between us."

_Connection lost._

"Hm, should have figured as much…" He grumbled, getting up.

Mello got dressed, still in deep though about his plan. He hoped it would work. No… It would definitely work. Mello never lost to anyone. Not even Near.

_You may have one the battle in succeeding L, Near, but you'll see… I'm going to win the war!_

--

"Where have you been?!" Mello growled heatedly as a red-haired person entered in reverse through the door. The blond frowned then changed his question, "What the _hell _are you doing?!" He snapped at Matt.

The red-head closed the door with the help of his foot and turned around. He had what looked like a cage in his arms. He grinned nervously at Mello.

"Uhh… don't be mad, please…"

"Okay, what have you done now? What's in that box thing you're holding?" Mello demanded. Matt grinned his cheeky smile again and came towards the table, staggering under the weight of the container. He deposited it right in front of Mello so that the caged side was facing him. Mello's jaw felt like it could have hit the ground.

He was face-to-face with a pair of big green eyes, who were surrounded by a pink little nose, whiskers, big ears and a lot of black fur. Matt opened the cage and grabbed the cat under its forearms and snuggled his face in the fur.

"You bought a cat?" Mello asked incredulously.

"Isn't she just so _cute_??" Matt declared, adoringly. Mello had to stop himself from saying yes. Matt was right. It was the most adorable thing he had ever had the misfortune to set his eyes upon, in Mello's opinion.

Back sitting upon the table, the kitten was now watching Mello. It surveyed him with its great big shiny eyes, and pawed the table slowly with its white paws. Its underbelly and the end of its tail were also white, in contrast to its black body. It was rather large for such a young cat. Suddenly, it pounced in Mello's face and licked his nose.

"AHH! GETTITOF!" He shouted at Matt, who hastily obeyed.

"NO! Bad kitty!" He said to it. Mello glared but didn't bother pointing out to Matt that the cat couldn't understand him and probably didn't even have the faintest idea it had done something wrong. Matt turned to Mello again, apparently scared.

"Are you angry…?"

"No," Mello answered bad-temperedly, "but if you want to keep that thing, it'll have to stay put. Or else, I am taking my gun out and…" Mello gestured shooting the cat with a gun made from his hand. Matt glared at him.

"Yeah… she'll be good. Won't you kitty!" He said to the cat fondly, rubbing their noses together in a snail-kiss. "What should I name her?"

"How about 'brainless dung-sack'? Oh and… 'probably-infested-by-fleas-or-god-knows-what-else'?" Mello suggested innocently.

Matt threw him a look of disgust and went to sit on the couch with the cat. Mello knew he didn't have much time so he followed Matt.

"What do you want?" Matt snapped, sticking his tongue out most childishly as Mello took a seat next to him.

"I talked with Near earlier… He explained this plan he had to damask Kira. I now know for a fact exactly who Kira is. His name is Light Yagami, apparently former Chief Yagami's son. He seems to have played his part well because… he was suspected by L. Nevertheless, he got himself out of many tight corners by inventing those fake rules and he also had L killed. And it sounds as if that girl, Misa Amane is in fact the second Kira. The notebook is now in the possession of Mikami Teru – we saw him on Sakura TV a while ago, remember? Anyway, here's Near's plan…"

Matt listened closely to everything Mello explained.

"Well Near's plan seems pretty much strait-forward, simple and foolproof. What did you say?" Matt asked, stroking the cat between her ears with his index finger.

"I asked him to cancel his plan. I don't think Kira would have fallen for it, he's probably seen right through Near's plan since the very beginning and I'm very sure that he's got his moves all planned out too. It would be dangerous to act out the plan like this since Kira is expecting it. We can gain an advantage by changing the plan at the last minute."

Matt surveyed him in disbelief for a few moments then, "You told him to cancel the plan… Well I guess it is a good way to try to get Kira mixed up. But… what are you planning then?"

Mello considered this for several seconds. He hadn't really designed the steps for his plan accurately yet. He checked the time. It was nine o' clock. He still had plenty of time. He gestured to Matt to follow him and sat down in front of his computer again. He called Near.

_Beep, beep…_

_Connecting…_

_Connection established._

"Yes, M? What do you want?" Came Near's voice, almost instantly.

"I have a question for you… How were you planning to get X-Kira's notebook, anyway?"

"I was arranging for Gevanni to steal it while X-Kira is at the gym tonight as usual. For a while now, we have been monitoring X-Kira's every move. He has not done anything unusual, excluding killing people," Near said with a slight hint of amusement, "X-Kira writes exactly one page per day, never more, never less."

"Hmm… Well, what were you planning on doing with the notebook then? Were you going to keep it at the SPK headquarters until the meeting with Kira?"

"Yes, that was indeed the plan. Until now, that is." Near said this as though waiting for an answer for an unasked question.

"Okay. Well, listen to me Near, I want you to bring the notebook to me. In fact, I'll await Gevanni outside the gym and I fully expect him to hand it over, or else… you know the procedure…" Mello put his gun next to the speaker and made it click loudly.

"Understood. Just explain what you plan to do when the notebook is in your hands."

"If you really trust me, N… you'll let be. I'll tell you once I have it."

"Ok. I'll let Gevanni know so be assured you'll have the Note by tonight. Just by outside the gym on Mikami's street at eight thirty."

"Thank you, leave everything to me."

_Connection lost._

Mello stretched and turned to Matt.

"Hm. I don't know what you're planning Mello but… It sounds good. I know it'll work it!" Matt grinned at him.

"You'll see Matt; everything is going to be perfect. Kira won't know what hit him!"

--

**Neko: **Yay! Cliffhanger! :P

Do not worry, dear readers, I won't be so long in updating the next chapter… I hope I didn't overload this one… I tried to put a maximum of things in this one because I felt bad taking so much time to upload it. You see, it's not that I spent a large amount time actually _writing _it, I just had to lay down the plotline correctly.

Poor little Neko would appreciate review to help her improve her writing skills!

Beware: every time you neglect the little button… someone writes an appalling fanfiction about Raito and Misa… Or L and Near vomits

Bye everyone! I love you all!


	4. Decisions

Neko: Why hello

**Neko: **Why hello! It seems it is me again! Before I get started, I just want to apologize for a mistake in chapter three: I had actually invented the e-mail addresses for Near, Mello and Matt… I don't know why but just… deleted them. So here they are without the and, for Near,

Mello: **chocolaterocksirulezzdoomonyou**

Near:** theendisnear**

Matt:**nintendOgamrfreakred**

**There you are! I am pretty sure these addresses don't exist. If one of them is by any chance yours, tell me and I'll change it if you want me to. I really tried to choose some that weren't likely to already belong to someone.**

Now for the usual procedure, I do NOT claim ownership for DEATHNOTE, any related characters and such so SHOO! (Whisks away the stubborn attorneys).

If you haven't read the spoiler warnings in the past chapters…now is the time to do so.

By the way… I am SO sorry about the LONG wait! My computer was down and stuff… I know you don't want to hear my excuses so just…forgive me? Please?

--

The streets were gloomy and not many cars were in sight. A few years ago, this would have been considered strange in such a big town, but now it was expected for the roads to be so deserted. Kira's new reign was one in which people lived in fear of being discovered doing something wrong: admittedly, driving around in the hours of darkness without any important reason to do so was considered odd. Night was slowly drifting through the air and traces of the sun would soon have completely left the sky.

This particular boulevard was motionless except for a man waiting in front of the gym leaning on a wall, making himself clearly visible from the entrance of the gym between a car and his own motorcycle, showered by the light of the big windows.

Mello was very agitated. He kept glancing between his watch and the door of the fitness center. He had seen a few people entering and exiting the building since the half hour he had been here but none were of any concern to him. He shuddered at the thought that, between the time he had gotten here and now, X-Kira himself had walked right in front of him.

At long last, Mello saw what he had been waiting to see for well over thirty minutes. He hurried across the street to meet a man who was holding a briefcase very close to him with both arms. The man greeted him faintly with but one hand, as though scared that sudden movements might make Mello attack.

"Ah, Gevanni… Got the notebook with you then?" Mello said importantly, brushing his hair through with a few fingers. Gevanni didn't respond but he opened the suitcase and took out a thin black book. _At long last_, Mello though, _here it is. My plan to destroying Kira getting closer by the second!_

"Take it quick before anyone sees!" Snarled Gevanni impatiently.

"Don't be stupid, what do you think this looks like to anybody else? Nothing but a notebook!" Nonetheless, Mello took it in his hands. To his great displeasure, no shinigami appeared. He looked around hopefully, but none came. He glanced at Gevanni again.

"Now… Give Near my, um… _gratitude_, yes… And tell him I'll call him shortly after getting home. We need to act fast, before he realizes the notebook he has is a fake." With that, and a quick nod from Gevanni, Mello turned and climbed on his motorbike. He adjusted his mirror in time to see Gevanni turn a corner and he sped off in direction of home.

--

He opened the door slowly. Matt wasn't in the living-room. Closing it, he made his way into the kitchen, clutching the note to his chest. He could smell something really good cooking. He went through the entrance hall, taking off his helmet with one hand and dropping it onto a table. He quickly adjusted his hair in the little mirror on the wall and continued towards the kitchen. As he did so, a pair of bright eyes turned his way: Matt's damned cat was watching him from the entrance of the bathroom. Freaky how those eyes seemed to read into you so easily…

"Mission accomplished!" He said proudly when he saw Matt, stirring something in a pan.

"That's great! So, did you see a shinigami yet?" Matt asked, looking around as if to see if it would suddenly pop into existence right in front of him. Mello chuckled but shook his head.

"Nah… it shouldn't be long though. Sidoh didn't arrive until a while." Mello told him, watching Matt mix sauce with the chop suey he was making. Meanwhile, the kitten came trotting into the room and jumped onto the chair next to Mello. The blond surveyes it as he listened to Matt speaking.

"Yeah I suppose, but wasn't Sidoh still in that shinigami realm when you got the notebook?" Asked Matt, putting a pinch of herbs in the pan.

"True… Well, we'll just have to wait and see won't we? …Look at this, it's great! There are loads of rules in this one too… We should read them really carefully, some of those could help."

"Yeah, could be a good idea. It would give us an advantage, even though Kira probably has read all the rules himself by now."

Mello nodded at this, sitting down at the table while Matt dropped equal portions of food in their plates with a large spoon and then sat down opposite the blond. Matt started eating strait away but then looked up at Mello who was sitting quite immobile, still holding the book firmly.

"You can let go of it you know… it's not going to disappear…" Matt informed him, amused. Mello shook his head, and came back to his senses. He placed the note next to him with great care and began eating. It was delicious as always with Matt. He had quite forgotten what Matt's excellent cooking tasted like since he had joined the mafia and was quite content to taste it once again. Neither of the two talked until at least Mello's plate was wiped clean. It was after a surprisingly short time that Mello pushed away his plate and slanted back into his chair.

"Ahh, what a blessing you are Matt… I don't know what I used to do before I came back to living with you!" Matt grinned at him, stroking his kitty between the ears.

"Hmm, let me guess… you ate the same junk as your mafia guys? Or did you live off chocolate?" Mello laughed.

"More of the latter."

"That's what I thought." Matt said nodding and laughing along with him.

"Hello, new owner… _hyuk hyuk…_" Came a crackling voice. Mello jumped up from his seat and stared at the new arrival. The cat perked up its ears and jumped from the chair, hissing. A vast black-wearing beast, more humanoid than Sidoh had been, a great greedy grin upon its face, was staring back right at him. The shinigami laughed his throaty laugh again.

"_Hyuk, hyuk… _Mihael Keehl is it?" Mello glared.

"I… hey… I command you not to say my name out load okay?" He said to it, making the shinigami laugh harder than ever, his voice sounding even more hoarse.

"_Hyuk hyuk hyuk hyuk…_You command a shinigami! That's a good one. Listen I'm not like that Sidoh, I don't take commands from humans nor am I scared of them."

Matt was staring at Mello. "What is it Mello? Is it a shinigami?"

"Yes." Mello said, "here," he threw the notebook to the redhead. Matt caught it and let out a little gasp: he had of course never seen a shinigami before. The cat hissed again and disappeared from the room.

"So, let's get to the point. That is, the holder of the note. You must know what the note does because you have owned one previously, have you not?" Mello nodded and the shinigami went on, "I can explain the rules to you, if there are some with which you need explaining, but I will not help you with your plans. I am not to be ordered around."

"This note was Kira's before wasn't it?" Mello demanded. The shinigami roared with hoarse laughter.

"Oho! You see, that's _exactly_ the kind of thing my shinigami rules prevent me from telling you."

"You have rules too?"

"Certainly. Now, what about you? What do you want to accomplish with this note?" Mello stared at the shinigami apprehensively.

"That's easy. I want to bring Kira to the grave!" The shinigami chuckled at Mello's haste.

"Well, I can't tell you much but I can see being with you will be fun so… I won't kill you." Mello nodded and sat back down, opening the notebook to the first page. Matt looked at it too, across the table. Every now and then, Mello would look back at the shinigami to ask a question.

"So if I kill someone with this… I can't go to heaven or hell?"

"That's right."

"I don't care. I would have gone to hell anyway." The shinigami chuckled and Mello flipped a few pages.

"Hey, what about this rule: _When the owner of the Death Note dies while the note is on loan, its ownership will be transferred to the person who is holding it at that time. If the Death Note is stolen and the owner is killed by the thief, its ownership will automatically be transferred to the thief. _That means that… If I kill Mikami, I will automatically become the owner right? And also this one: _If you lose the Death Note or have it stolen, you will lose its ownership unless you retrieve it within 490 days. _I won't need this one… Mikami will be dead before 490 days…" Mello looked at the shinigami, who smiled.

"Technically," he said with a mysterious grin, "you would have to kill the real owner of the note to gain ownership and not the person from who you stole it from. Otherwise, it's still considered to be on loan. Consider this rule: _You may lend the Death Note to another person while maintaining ownership. The borrower may lend it to yet another person as well._"

Mello glanced at Matt, who looked at him too and said, "You have to kill the true owner! Come on Mello. We know Kira… he probably wouldn't have completely given the notebook to Mikami would he?"

"Oh right… of course. Then I would have to kill Kira…" Ignoring the wheezy laughs from the shinigami he went on, "I won't do it now… I want to get Kira good. I want to make him suffer. I want him to know it was me who got him. And I want the whole world to find out who Kira really is. Just this homicidal teenager…" Matt slapped him on the back.

"Good one mate." Smirking, the blond turned back to the shinigami.

"What's your name anyway?"

"My name is Ryuk. I'm male, in case you were wondering."

"I wasn't and I don't give a damn. Now… If you return to Kira and he asks you who has the notebook, can you lie to him and say Mikami still has it?" When Ryuk nodded slowly, he went on, "Okay… perfect. Everything is going just as planned. You can do whatever you want now shinigami I don't need you just now." Mello waved Ryuk off with a flick of his hand. Chuckling indifferently, Ryuk turned around and disappeared through the wall.

"Strange things those shinigami, eh, Mello?"

"Yeah… now come on, we've got a big job to do now." Matt got up too and followed his friend into the bedroom where they sat down in front of the computer. Mello's heart was beating hard against his ribs; this was it. Now or never…

_Beep, beep…_

_Connecting…_

_Connection established._

"Hello M."

"Yes, hi," Mello cut across him hastily, "Hey look, thanks for the notebook. Everything is going to work because of this. It was… brave of you to trust me…" He distinctly heard Near cough, although he might have imagined it.

"I do not fear death, M." He replied simply and in a colorless voice. With the synthetic voice, he sounded even more emotionless.

"What do you mean?" Mello asked him slowly.

"I have seen through your plans M. They will indeed work, if the first step does okay that is."

"And that fist step would be-"

"-stop right there. Don't even try. I know you've been planning to kill me all along." Mello shot a death glare at the computer screen with the Olde London N on it, knowing Near couldn't see him anyway. He shot an angry look at Matt, too, who had nearly said something.

"Oh well, you're too smart for me anyway. I don't care if I have to kill you. I'm glad, even, since you told me you think my plan will work. If it's good enough for you, it should be good for anybody. Even L."

"That is all we have to say to each other then?"

"Yes, quite… I don't have anything to add. Do you have any last requests or anything?" He added, biting his lip to stop himself from laughing and ignoring the disbelieving look on Matt's face.

"In fact M, I do have something… Give Kira a good kick from me." Mello grinned in spite of himself. But then he heard other voices on Near's end.

"No! Near, you can't just leave this be… Don't leave us like this!" They sounded scared.

"Don't worry… I'm not leaving you empty-handed… I'm leaving all my info and equipment to you. And M will be contacting you I trust?"

"Um… Yes. Actually… the SPK could be useful."

"Good… I'm awaiting my death then Mello." Mello couldn't help but sense the notes of amusement in Near's tone of voice.

"I… yeah… now then…" Mello opened the note and took a pen that was lying close at hand. Then he paused.

"This is merely for your plan, isn't it, M? Or… do you really hate me that much? Did you really ever wish for me to die?"

"I can't lie to you N… I've never liked you. But, to be honest… I'm finding it hard to kill you right now…"

"Surely not! After all the people you've killed… or ordered to be killed… And I would have thought it wasn't like directly killing me."

"Well no, I think it's just because I know you… I grew up with you… even if I don't like you. So, whatever, how do you want to die? I can write anything you know."

"Oh… just don't make it a heart attack… it sounds too painful. Just write, 'Painless death' or something." Near sounded as though they were casually talking about the weather. It struck Mello how much death really wasn't much to him. Maybe he had given up; seeing as Mello had the notebook and his plan was good, he saw no hope for him at all. Near knew his end was closing on him and there was nothing he could do.

"All right then… here I go." Mello took the pen again and began to write. He decided to do it quick, it would probably feel better.

_Nate River_

_Peaceful death_

"There… you have forty seconds Nate." Near didn't respond. "Sorry," Mello said quickly, "I didn't think you would mind me using your name now."

"No, it's okay. I am going to die anyway. Make sure you bring Kira down now Mello. You're the only one good enough who can. You can't die, please. For L… for Whammy… for all those kids back at Whammy's…" Mello closed his eyes.

"Ten seconds… Sorry, Nate. I-"

"-I always liked you though Miha-…" Mello's eyes shot open. Near had nearly used his name… No more sounds were heard. Then the same synthetic voice came but Mello knew it wasn't Near.

"It's done… He just collapsed…"

"Yeah. Who is this? Don't lie."

"This is Rester… What is this plan of yours then?"

"Like I'm going to tell you… Just contact Kira to tell him Near has died, that's the fist step of my plan." Mello smirked at himself for being so domineering.

"But-"

"No buts! Near trusted my plan, shouldn't that be enough?" There was a silence that meant Rester couldn't think of what to say. "Right, now contact Kira but leave me on. Kira must not find out that I killed him or that I'm listening right now, got it?"

"Yes. Wait a minute."

Mello looked back at Matt. The gamer was slouched on his computer chair, arms crossed, eyebrows raised. He didn't look angry, just a little annoyed. Mello was about to speak to him when they heard sound out of the speaker again.

--

Raito was lying on the couch of the investigation room. Everyone was still working but they would all leave soon. Raito was feeling much worn out; he much thought he needed a break. The others, mostly Matsuda, thought he looked tired so they had let him relax for a few minutes. He scratched the left temple robustly and yawned. Up to now, his plans were all working out. Everything was exactly as planned. L and Watari out of the way… Kira's name rising in the esteem of the population… His perfect world was now closer than ever…

"Hello, L, are you there?" Raito reacted practically before he heard it. He sprang up from the sofa and moved across the room to his desk. His computer screen was white, bearing the familiar black gothic style N. He picked up the microphone and pushed down the switch for the synthetic voice of L.

"Yes, N, it's me." He told the micro, sitting down swiftly.

"Actually, it's not N…"

"Who is this, then? Another member of the SPK? Why isn't it Near speaking, what do you need me for?"

"Near is dead."

The words echoed through Raito's head for a few seconds. Near, _dead_. Near… out of his way… his path to his perfect world completely free of obstacles… He kept his face as impassive as he could, but he let through a slight touch of surprise; the whole investigation team was watching his reaction closely.

"He's… dead…? But how? Why?"

"He just… collapsed. He was in the middle of saying something and he just stopped and fell down. We checked his pulse and other vital signs… he's definitely dead."

"But how is it possible? It seems clear he suffered a heart attack – this could be the work of Kira – but, did anyone know Near's true name?" Raito could not stop puzzling over this. How could Near be dead when his name had never, as much as Raito knew, been told to anyone? Wasn't it true that all the kid's names at the orphanage called Whammy's were kept by their holder in utmost secrecy?

"Certainly not, Near was always as secretive of his name as L himself. Even we did not know it."

"Okay… he must've told someone… or - or he was killed by a shinigami…"

"What do you mean?" Asked the person on the other end, rather sharply.

"Shinigami write names of humans to extend their lifespan… they do this completely at random. Maybe… this is work of random?"

"Yes, we can consider this… Either way, what're we going to do now?" The person speaking was a different one, Raito could tell. This one sounded much more elegant; maybe more feminine.

"We should continue to collaborate as we did before. But what will happen now? Near had a plan, didn't he? It was all about somehow proving that I'm Kira, wasn't it? Did he tell you guys what his views were…?" Raito asked many questions to give him more time to think. His plan was going perfectly now, nothing could stop him. There was no more Watari, no more L, no more Near…

…but wait…

"Hey!" He cut across the other speaker's beginning of what he understood to be a searching of words: 'Umm…' Raito had just thought of something. Something horrible. "We still have a problem, don't we? This Mello guy."

The person on N's end didn't speak immediately. Raito though he heard distant voices speaking together but maybe it was his imagination. Then: "Yes, Mello is still alive and we have reason to believe he's after the notebook or _notebooks _for himself. He is ready to take drastic measures, as we saw with the Takada incident…"

"Yeah, so… what are we going to do about him? Should we try to capture him again?"

"No, we can't arrange to do that since we don't know where he is at the moment. We should try and see what he is planning before deciding." Raito thought for a moment then looked at the rest of his team. It all seemed okay, he struggled to find something wrong but he couldn't see what would be better.

"Okay then. Let us both be ready and when we see him do anything, we should call each other when he does."

"Good… just continue with trying to find clues."

_Connection lost._

Raito stretched and scratched his back. Everyone behind him went back to their work desks. After a few moments, as everyone had expected, Matsuda spoke.

"Near dead… that's not too good for us is it… Kira'll be happy…" Nobody said anything until Ide snapped 'Shut up, Matsuda' in a rather weary tone of voice. No one spoke until they all began closing their work and rubbing their eyes, tired from all their work.

Raito was lost deep in thought. Near had died… just like that: with no effort, his most dangerous enemy was eradicated. Mello still remained, but he was less dangerous than Near had been in a way because he didn't seem as smart, acting upon impulse and using criminal methods to get what he wants. Admittedly, he was still a worthy opponent for Raito. He just thought he shouldn't be too hard to eliminate now that Near was out of the way. It was like facing L all over again. It was him against the unknown: he must plan his steps carefully and follow his instinct more then ever now.

What was Mello planning? He had managed to kill Takada when Kira himself had been pulling the strings behind her… Indeed, Raito had been very angry when he caught whiff of Takada's death. Not really because she was dead, he had never cared about her. More because one of his pawns had now been defeated. He still had Mikami though. If Takada had been a bit like a castle, Mikami had been more like a knight. The opposing knight that was now Mello, the other one, Near, destroyed, was now gaining on the king: Kira. Raito made a mental promise to himself: he must now keep Mikami much closer to him. Like a King is protected by its Queen. He must contact Mikami soon.

One by one, the team members left the room to gain their respective bedrooms. Raito stayed in the investigation room for a little while, thinking furiously. After his head gave a painful throb at the back, he lay down and permitted his mind to wander over other things.

Quite suddenly, Ryuk appeared before him, materializing through the wall. The shinigami grabbed an apple in the fruit bowl and sat down facing Raito, legs crossed.

"Where have you been?" Raito asked him. Now that he thought of it, Ryuk had been leaving the room a lot lately. The shinigami didn't respond now but ate three big apples and spoke after with his mouth full.

"I was – _munch munch _– keeping watch over – _munch munch – _Mikami…"

"Sshh! Shut up stupid!" Raito whispered, very angry. He listened for sounds of people nearby, but he didn't think anyone was listening. They had all gone to bed. It was lucky actually that Ryuk had had his mouth full of apple while speaking as it camouflaged what he had said. Raito had barely understood under the masticating. "So… what's been going on? He's still following orders correctly?" He asked Ryuk, barely making any sound at all. The shinigami munched thoughtfully.

"Yeah," he swallowed loudly, "everything is going well." His smile was only just concealed, which Raito noticed.

"Why are you smiling like that?" He asked him, frowning. Then he thought he heard a distant sound like a door creaking. He paused to listen but he couldn't with the noise Ryuk was making.

"No reason. Mmm, this apple is really juicy!" Without waiting for Raito to comment any further, he inquired, "Aren't you going to go sleep? I thought you were tired lately…"

"Yes, I am tired Ryuk, I just needed to think… In case you haven't noticed, I'm under a lot of pressure right now."

"Oh so even Ki-" Ryuk changed at top speed at the warning face Raito shot him, "-people like you have to sleep sometimes… _hyuk hyuk…_" Raito didn't say anything. He was too tired and annoyed to talk. A few minutes passed in silence, if only for the buzzing of the bar fridge. Then Raito remembered what he had been meaning to do. He turned to Ryuk, who was still sitting inertly on the couch.

"I want you to go to him again and… check if he's still working… give me regular news until further orders, okay?" Ryuk nodded and stood up. He grabbed a second apple from the bowl and flew through the window.

Raito slouched back down on his sofa. He closed his eyes slightly and lay there peacefully for several moments until he heard the door open. He did not look at the person but heard him walk to the back of the room, where the kitchen material was. Then Raito gave a stir and sat up. He wanted to look as though he had been dozing. Turning around on the couch and looking from under his hand blocking the light, he saw Matsuda making himself a sandwich.

"Matsuda… it's like ten past midnight… _why _are you making a sandwich?!" He said frostily, checking his watch and rubbing his eyes. Matsuda didn't even try to hide his real intention.

"Uhh… who were you talking to? Before I entered…" Raito looked at him sternly, then thought it was pointless to lie.

"I was talking to Ryuk…"

"Oh… but, what were you talking about. I mean, who were you talking about? The person Ryuk had to go to and check if he's working?" Raito froze, thinking wildly.

"Oh that… well I told Ryuk to tail some people to check if he sees anyone suspicious." Apparently, even Matsuda could see the flaw in Raito's excuse.

"Okay, but it sounded like… like Ryuk was following someone in particular."

"Yeah, there's this one guy who seems a lot more suspicious, from what Ryuk said. But it's still not clear; I've only just started doing this." He put great effort in keeping his voice as calm and pleasant as usual. Matsuda appear satisfied. Raito grinned to himself; Matsuda really did not want to think he was guilty in any way… Raito ruffled his auburn hair and went to the kitchen too. After drinking a good old glass of pleasantly cold water, he went off to bed.

Lying under the soft, warm covers, he thought of his now continued battle against Mello, he though of L… L whom Raito had been sure would disappear after he had destroyed him, certain that the greatest of obstacles would be out of his way. No, now he was facing L's _fucking successors_… Why was that, he couldn't even dispose of them as he had disposed of L… He had never even known L's true name – it still infuriated him.

Once the head L had been was severed, it had sprouted two new heads, possibly even more dangerous than the previous one… He rolled to his other side, clutching the sheets, and fell asleep thinking about it all. His dreams inhabited by disturbing images of faceless opponents defeating him, and ugly shinigami laughing in his face at his human weakness…

--

Matt stared back at Mello. "You killed Near… I can't believe it… _why?_"

"I had to! Don't act like you care, you and Near were never really friendly, either."

"He was still… sorry, but it's true, he was still the smartest of us." Mello clenched his fist, but didn't retort – he knew it was true anyway. Besides, he had more important things to think about now than _dead Near_.

"I know, I know… it was inevitable. He said my plan will work, you heard him!"

"About this plan of yours… can't you explain it to me now?" Matt crossed his arms again.

"Yeah, okay. Listen closely…"

--

Mello punched the air in delight. He kept shouting things like; 'We got him good!', or 'WOOHOO!!', Matt laughing along with him.

"Yeah, we've got him cornered!" Matt said happily, taking a sip from the glass of Merlot Mello had pushed into his hand a few minutes past. They celebrated for a while, laughing, finishing the quarter-bottle of wine and opening a new bottle of Pinot Noir, Mello even hugged Matt and ruffled his hair. After a while they cooled down and told jokes and things like that.

It had been quiet for a while, Matt was thinking to himself when he felt something drop onto his shoulder and gentle breathing in his ear. It made him jump, and he looked to the side and saw a mass of blond hair. He became strangely stiff, listening to see if Mello really was asleep. Then, as delicately as he could, he lowered Mello's head onto his lap and slouched against the back of the three-seater couch. He absently caressed Mello's soft hair, passing his fingers through it, the scent of Mello slowly and pleasurably drifting up to him. A sweet smell of sugar mixed nicely with some man body spray of Mello's…

As though drunken by the odor of it, he sank into a pleasant half-sleep. Just engulfed in Mello's scent and the warmth of both the sofa and Mello's body leaning on him.

--

Mello shifted around as he woke up and felt he was lying on something warm. He was feeling somewhat dreamy and very peaceful. He could smell something rather nice, an assortment of all the everyday odors Mello liked… Matt's peach-scented shampoo, the sugary perfume Matt uses, a faint sweaty scent and something that could be like cigarette ashes… wait a minute… all those things belonged to… Matt! He jumped and sat up swiftly, looking around.

"OW!!" He heard Matt's shout coming from hardly a few centimeters away from his left ear. Covering his throbbing ear with his hand, he threw Matt the dirtiest look he could make. Indeed, it was as he had thought. They were in the living-room and Mello had been lying across the red-head's lap. He glanced at the low table and saw it was covered with junk. Two wine bottled stood empty, alongside countless crisp packages, candy papers and an ashtray littered with three finished cigarette stubs. _How many damn times had he told Matt not to smoke in the house? _He mustn't have noticed since he had drunk so much earlier.

Speaking of drunk… the back of his head was aching slightly and he was still feeling drowsy. He got up clumsily and rounded on Matt, who was still wearing a look appropriate to having been punched in the face.

"Oh come on," Mello snapped at him, "don't give me that look. What the _fuck _was I doing in your lap?" Matt felt his face grow hot – what was wrong with him all of a sudden… his hands felt all clammy.

"I don't know okay! I drank as much as you didn't I?"

"Don't give me that shit… It's that hugging thing all over again isn't it? I _told_ you, I am _not_ a pillow." Mello grumbled and sat back down, facing Matt. The latter began to say anything; he didn't really know what he was saying anymore. All he knew was that Mello's face was like 20cm from his and he could smell the blond's alcohol breath really strong. Mello was watching him with a conspicuous look, but the effect was strange on him – his eyes were oddly drooped.

"Oh shut up or I'll… I'll make you shut up-" Matt wasn't really listening.

"But, I – I swear, I really don't know – can't remember-"

True to his words, Mello shut him up. It was a few seconds before Matt realized what was happening. Mello's hot breath was all around him, inside him… His soft lips were moving on his own and he could feel something wet licking around the entrance of his mouth; Mello's tongue was demanding entrance. In his surprise, Matt fell back on the sofa and froze, but Mello moved backwards with him and only redoubled in his movements upon Matt.

Matt's brain had stopped; everything around them seemed to have disappeared. It took him a few more moments for him to come back to his senses. Mello had clearly not realized that he was the only one doing anything. Matt broke the kiss, turning his head to the side. Mello opened his eyes and his expression of mystified pleasure changed immediately. He looked revolted at himself. Matt was sure he was feeling the same thing as he was. A mixture of horror, shock, but also a feeling of strange contentment that neither of them could justify. After many seconds of staring at each other, Mello scrambled off him and sat a little way further on the couch.

"What," Matt said slowly, "the _fuck _was that about…" Mello shook his head, still not looking at him. Matt went on, "So what does that mean. Am _I_ a pillow then?" He asked Mello, making his amusement obvious. Matt turned to look at him very slowly, glaring.

"Look, I'm drunk okay. It meant nothing, just forget it." Matt snorted at Mello's excuse. What a _lame_ justification.

"You can't be more drunk then I am; we drank the same amount. You take alcohol much better than I do. Besides, if you can declare yourself drunk, you can't be that drunk! Now explain why the hell you kissed me." Mello looked pissed.

"Hey look I told you it didn't mean anything. I did it because… because I suddenly felt like it okay? I just… forget it…" Mello looked really troubled. Matt felt even clammier than before and his heart was beating unpleasantly fast. He quickly came to a decision and moved along the leather to place himself next to Mello. Mello gazed back at him with wide eyes. Matt felt his mouth curve into a smile he could not repress. He had never seen Mello like this.

"You don't need a better reason than that to kiss me Mello…" he said, pausing to wonder when his voice had become so soft and seductive, "I just feel like kissing you too you know." With that, not giving Mello any time to say something, the red-head closed the space between them and once more everything around them had vanished.

Before long, Mello was kissing back as hard as he had been doing before and this time, Matt did not draw back. They could feel the other's hands all over their body, a warm feeling had enveloped them and their lips were moving against each other's, tongues entwined.

Mello had grabbed the back of Matt's head, pushing him even closer and the gamer's hands had slipped beneath Mello's leather top, feeling their way around the blond man's abdomen. When lack of air had manifested itself a little too much, they stopped and this time, Matt was leading. Mello kept his eyes closed and threw his head back onto the arm of the couch while Matt nibbled along his jaw line. Very soon though, Mello pushed Matt away and they were both breathing hard.

They didn't speak for a while, just looking at each other as though they could never look at the other enough.

Matt was blushing deeply and odds were Mello was too because his face felt abnormally warm. Sudden realization of everything that had just occurred hit Mello and he broke eye contact with Matt, his face getting warmer by the second.

"What's 'matter?" Matt asked him. Mello glanced back at the red-head. What the-? Matt was smiling… he was grinning. "What's with the surprised face, Mel?"

"Hn… This… we… I mean what in the _name_ of _fuck_?" Matt just smiled more.

"I dunno what the hell this means any more than you do, okay. Just… does this seem wrong to you or something?"

"No," Mello replied immediately, speaking his answer before deciding if it was wrong or not to him. "Uh… this isn't what I – we drank too much-"

"Oh will you shut up with that! Drinking has never been a problem with you. Right now it's just a lame excuse for an… for an excuse!!" The corner of Mello's mouth twitched at Matt's poor attempt at humor.

"You're right… but my priority is still Kira." Matt nodded. He had known this since the beginning. Even so, he couldn't help clinging to his only comforting thought: _Mello _did_ care about him. And once Kira was finished, he would be a concern for the blond._

Matt looked back at Mello, whose expression was unreadable. He still looked dazed. The redhead opened his arms and cocked his head with a pout.

"Just… a hug then?" Mello smirked at the childishness, but obliged. Happy, Matt leaned into his embrace, engulfed in all those pleasant warm scents that made Mello what he really was inside, that is, quite _mellow_.

--

**Neko: **I've only just realized; wasn't this chapter really longer than the others?? I couldn't see where to cut it without breaking the story line too much… I had to cram all that in here. Please don't think too scantily of poor little neko.

Um, to all those who like Near: I don't! I really hate him. I just had to make Mello kill him and I didn't want to give him a nice important-like death. Thankyou!

Yes, what did I want to say too…um, oh yes! Can any of you see where this is going? Raito's got a problem he doesn't even know about! Yay.

Please review, if you find you have the time and/or heart to do so.

Byee everyone! Thanks to those who have given me their praise or support up to now. I aim to always get better at writing.

_P.S. I like chess :)_


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